Sunday, November 30, 2014

First year I have entered this adventure. It has been terrific to have the motivation and support to get a novel written within a specific time.Now I have a story ready to flesh out and edit.Wonderful to have shared with other authors and have the Muse awake and active.Special thanks go to Wendy Laharnar for her prompting... a few swift kicks when things were going slow, helped immensely.Also to Robyn Veugen for arranging several Write In's where words were written and support shared. A great motivational tool.And to Leonie Henschke and Robyn Veugen for making the week long writers' retreat in Noosa a brilliant success and enjoyable time away.Now, to work on the manuscript and think about what to write next.Congratulations to all who have participated in NANO this year. Even if you didn't get the whole 50k words down, I know those who have worked on their writing will have found the experience worthwhile. Well done.I think for some there are a few hours left. It's Australia and there are only a few hours left before December rolls in.

If you have dropped in, please feel free to talk about your NANO achievements in the comments. And again...Congratulations... well done. Any word written towards NANO is a bonus.

Stuart:
Actually, Rosalie, it started with the characters. I had an idea of four very
different characters: a bitter farmer, a troubled teen girl, a ruthless
corporate marauder, and a failed, gay entrepreneur. I thought it might be fun
to see how they might be connected. The interwoven, puzzle plot followed. Now,
of course, when I say “fun,” I probably have a different concept of “fun” than
most people.

Do you wake
at night, reliving scenes? Tormented by the lives you create for your
characters?

Stuart:
Honestly, as I wrote this book, it put me in a very dark place at times.
Usually I like to insert humor into my novels. Not so much this one.

In Godland
the idea of escape and survival are important. Each of the characters have
their own ways of coping with the trauma of their previous lives. You capture
their resourcefulness and coping mechanisms well. Some more successful than
others. Have you studied psychology? How do you get into your character’s heads
so well? You make them seem very real.

Stuart:
Great question, Rosalie! Yes, escape and survival is an important theme of the
book. Especially the parallels of physical and psychological escape. Something
every character in the book strives for. The past forms the future. For
everyone. And, yeah, psychology was my under-study in college. Can’t say I drew
too much on that though. Most of the book’s just my putting myself into the
characters’ mind-set, then letting it rip. As I said, “fun!”

Family and
family ties play a huge part in GODLAND. Some of the ties are not what most
family values promote. GODLAND isn’t based on any real or living situations is
it? You had me wondering if there are places where the type of people in
GODLAND might really exist.

Stuart:
Well, my burden is Kansas. I live in this Godforsaken state. I’m embarrassed at
some of the primitive beliefs and practices that go on here. For cryin’ out
loud, we still have an active Ku Klux Klan chapter, lots of dark secrets and
horrific situations going on in the farmlands, a violent mob presence in Kansas
City, black magic worshippers, antiquated political beliefs and laws. Recently,
a law was passed allowing restaurant owners to refuse service to people who
they believe may be gay. You believe that? In my books, I’m trying to expose
the hidden, awful underbelly of the Midwest, even though the loudest proponents
of Kansas’s Norman Rockwellian surface—wholesome family values--are the biggest
hypocrites. Don’t visit Kansas!

The names
of each character in the family are straight from the Bible. Are you a
religious person? Or do you see religion as being an obsession like it is for
Edwin. Obviously naming his children after characters from the good book,
didn’t help him raise them well, or them to be righteous. Although, in their
darkest hours, some of the players in the drama find a germ of compassion.

Stuart:
LOL. I think compassion’s key, Rosalie. If characters don’t have it, or find it
eventually, then I find books like that generally hard to get behind. True
horror comes from humanity’s foibles, something awful, inescapable. Yet
humanity also shines sometimes when hidden reservoirs of compassion surface. Am
I religious? Not particularly. Mostly because I had it beaten into me (not
literally) as a kid. A rebel, I suppose. But if I’m writing tales set in creepy
Kansas, I can’t escape religious themes. Part of the general make-up. Funny
thing about the names, Rosalie. At first I had three integral characters named
Peter, Paul and Mary. My wife caught it, said, “uh, no.” Took me a minute
before I realized what she was on about.

I came away
from reading GODLAND wondering how an author can write such dark and traumatic
stories. I don’t usually watch horror movies… I really don’t understand when
there is no logical reason for violence, or supernatural haunting/violence.
GODLAND transcends that nonsensical horror by bringing its characters to life
with deep motivation and logical reasoning for each and every action. Makes it
all much scarier. My hat goes off to you for creating a dark landscape with a
story that pulls the reader into every scene and has them on the edge of their
seats, ready to run, as they turn each page.

That’s not
a question…

Stuart: I
hear ya’, Rosalie. I agree logic is important. As for how I write such dark and
traumatic tales? Well, actually, it’s probably the darkest of my books. As I
said before, I do like humor believe it or not. This book is exorcising demons,
I suppose. Kinda’ like most of my books. (My YA series deals with my awful high
school years of bullying and senseless violence). And Edwin’s loosely (VERY
loosely) based on my grandfather. Didn’t know him very well, he died early. But
my dad told me lots of awful tales about him. Of course he wasn’t as bad or
evil as Edwin. But he had his moments of mental and physical abuse.

Final
question is how does an author capable of writing GODLAND, turn back to writing
for young adults?

Stuart: Not
sure I’m turning back to writing YA books. Godland was actually the second book
I wrote. But I had to let it gestate for a while. And I have about four more
adult suspense thrillers on dock. Then again, I have an idea for a couple of YA
books. Another Tex, the Witch Boy tale set in college. And a story about
Satan’s son being banished to a Midwest high school for being too lenient on
the damned souls in hell. Many laughs (I hope) will ensue.

I am
reading ‘Elspeth the Living Dead Girl’ at present and find you have captured
the voice of a teenage girl. The change of voice shows the level of expertise
you have mastered in your writing. Congratulations.

Stuart:
Well, thanks, Rosalie. It helps having one of those curious, completely alien
creatures–one you have to constantly walk on eggshells around--known as a
teenage girl under your roof. I listened to her, her friends. Talked to them.
Um, shamelessly eavesdropping. Probably my biggest challenge, that book.
Writing POV from two very different teen girls’ perspectives. Very fun, too.
Unleashing my inner teen girl!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Thanks to Stuart I am answering some in depth questions about my writing and the Chronicles of Caleath.
Please feel free to drop in and leave a comment.
:)
Stuart will be a guest here on 23rd Nov. So come on back to see what he has to say about writing GODLAND

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

This year I am working on a new novel, still not sure of the title, but half way through November and I have 30k plus words and the plot is flowing. Characters are behaving and with luck, I will 'win' Nano.
As an incentive to write I am on a writers' retreat with two other authors who are also busily penning their novels.
There is still time to enjoy the proximity to Noosa's national parks and beaches.
Swimming, having coffee on Hastings street and strolling home before beginning a days writing seems to help fire up the muse.
It is great to find the words returning and ideas bubbling. Conflicts, dialogue, romance, danger, and of course dragons. What would a fantasy be without them.
I hope your November is going well.
It is good to be a year on, last November was a sad time. Losing a brother and also a dear little dog.
On Saturday a new puppy is joining our family. :)
So, it's a good month. Productive and with positive prospects.
Write on...

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Can you imagine losing your memory? What about losing your memory when you are linked to sorcerers and dragons but you have no idea how, why, where or when? And, everyone knows all about you but are loathe to tell you because that knowledge could destroy you?What if you discover you are known and feared as the Deathbringer?This is where Caleath, the alien from Ramport 6 finds himself? Compassionate Caleath, aware of an evil lurking within, but has no idea what it can do or how to control it. As Tag Seawell, he has reinvented himself. He is a seaman, in love with the lovely goatherd Naomi who is expecting his child. However, the unborn child is in danger from creatures from Tag Seawell’s past who are determined that Death will take it.This is an emotional, action packed novel. We are drawn into Tag’s world and suffer with him through the many battles and encounters he faces. At the same time, we enjoy his relationships with characters from his past that are keen to help him regain his memory for their sake as well as his; all the while knowing the revelations must come slowly, without their interference.Rosalie Skinner’s wonderful dragons, and dread lords alive and dead, and the magical characters of witches, sorcerers and apprentices , lords, princes and princess, whales, dolphins and pirates, fill her fascinating fantasy world as we sail from port to port In Search of Memory.To me, Rosalie Skinner is the master world builder, second to none, and the work is beautifully written. You will relish your escape into this fantasy world and fall in love with Caleath, Naomi, Melody, Nazarre and even the dread lord Tallowbrand. Once you enter the Chronicles of Caleath, you will want to stay there with these beloved friends. Fortunately there is one more book to come in this series and six that await your pleasure, if you haven’t already found them.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

After attending the inaugural Grass Roots Writers' Gathering I was inspired to write this short poem. The weekend was terrific. Spending time with other writers, sharing their ideas, enthusiasm and support proved a resounding success.Coffs Harbour Writers Group is going to carry the baton and try to emulate Dorrigo Writers' Group's wonderful weekend next year.

It was wonderful to spend time with Wendy Laharnar, who I have been friends with for so many years 'online'. She travelled vast distances to be there and give of her time, experience and knowledge. Her first face to face workshop proved hugely successful and popular.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Further to the notes from the workshop given at the Grass Roots Writers' Gathering, on Writing Fantasy and World building, this is the article and links referred to during the session.
It has been published on the Fantasy Faction website. A great resource for anyone interested in Fantasy, writing, Fantasy books and authors.
Anyhow... for those who may be interested in further researching how to create believable personality traits and characters, here is the article.

Welcome to 2012. During the holiday season I have been looking over my own manuscripts and delving into the motivation driving my characters.

I believe as fantasy authors, we need realistic motivation to bring our characters to life. Of course, this meant looking further than my own understanding. I have discovered that psychologists believe an early incident in life imprints on a character and can cause reaction and behavioral nuances much later in life. There are articles that describe how the timing of the incident can affect later motivation. The link is below. Following the ‘hierarchy of needs’ from Abraham Maslow, we find there are five classes of motivation. In very simplified terms, we as fantasy authors should find them useful. This translates to meaning…

Wants and desires can influence behavior. Only unsatisfied needs are associated with motivating the character. Satisfaction doesn’t.

Needs can be ordered in rank of importance from basic to complex. For example the need for food, shelter, security, love, to the need for acceptance, understanding and self esteem, achievement and finally self actualization.

Advancing to the next level will not occur until the character’s more basic needs have been satisfied.

Individuality As the character meets the needs at the basic level, moves up toward more complex needs and meets them, he will show more psychological health, humanness and individuality.

So where do our hero/villains/characters find their motivations? What has caused them to become determined and motivated; to partake in their quests? Are they behaving consistently, relative to their background?

The article there is an interesting read. Hmm… Can’t say I am entirely comfortable with the information but then, I write fantasy, I don’t actually study human psychology. I think I feel more confident now though, that my characters are behaving within believable parameters.

Discussing this topic with a psychologist, I was urged to mention that motivation will come from the imprint that occurred earlier in life. Hence I am adding Ericson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. This table is well worth a look.

So, I guess without some incident to leave a mark on our character, the resulting reaction and motivation isn’t going to feel right. It all comes down to the basic rule, we as authors already know…and should adhere to. We need to know each of our characters’ backgrounds, so we can refer, if only in passing, to what happened to them and when it happened, to cause their behavior now.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

The thing about e-book publishing in
today’s digital age is how incredibly easy it is to realise the dream of
becoming a published e-book author.

With today’s technology ebooks are becoming
more popular and much easier to produce. The cost can be minimal, if not free.
But it takes a little research to find the right publisher for your book.

RESEARCH Everyone needs to do their research, to
find the right home for their work. Today we will go through a few of the
topics we need to consider.

Publishing with an ebook publisher v self publishing.

There are several reasons for either
option. Control, cost, percentage of royalties etc weigh in favour of self
publishing.

Marketing, exposure, creating various
formats and distribution are easier through a publishing house.

Whichever way you decide to go, always
check out your choice with sites like Writers Beware.
These sites will list any scam or unethical publishers.

Things
to consider…not in order, but each need
thought.

Copyright.
You will
need to have a covering statement at the start of your book, protecting you
from people copying your work.

Also, beware of using trademarks and names
of actual people, quotes, song lyrics and references from text without
permission. Unless the quote is in the public domain, it is wise to get
permission or create your own version. The large companies will sue. As an editor
for a small ebook publisher who doesn't have vast resources, it is one of the
house rules, to avoid any threat of copyright infringement. It doesn't matter
how small the distribution, if it is out there, with your name attached, take
care not to step on any sensitive toes. It can cost.

Images, photos for cover, or as part of the manuscript must have permission for use. It is important to check they are suitable formats for e-publication. Jpeg, grayscale, resolution etc all become important terms.Introducing your E-Book Acknowledgements, dedication, tag line, blurb and author bios are needed as part of your e-book and sales page. A tag line is a twenty word hook to grab a reader's attention.The blurb is a longer hook. This is where the reader is given a taste of your writing and ability to create interest and share some components of the manuscript.

ISBN. Most ebook publishers will
provide an ISBN
if you want one. If you are just publishing for yourself and are not
planning to market or distribute your work, you may not need an ISBN.

If however you plan to sell, distribute and
market your e-book, an ISBN is necessary. You can purchase one yourself. They
are available and cheaper in lots of ten or so. Again, research will give you
the best prices, cost and most ebook publishers will provide one in their
publishing package.

Books in print (even self published) with
an ISBN also need to have one copy sent off to the National and State Library
as ‘Legal Deposits’. It could be worth checking the rules concerning e-books.

Cover. If you
have your own photos, design skills, and ideas, this need not be a challenge.
Make sure you have permission to use the images though. Also, ensure you use
the highest resolution possible to create your cover. Examples of great ebook
covers (Pinterest board) at The Book Designer

There are places where you can
purchase ready made covers. For a price. Some ebook publishers will offer a
range of covers. Example of a graphic designer who does ebook covers – includes
pricing for covers, book trailers etc INDIE Bookcovers

Images are available for purchase from places like Fotolia, Dreamstime, Getty. There are free images available. I was lucky enough to have Rachel Lewis Photography Coffs Harbour provide the cover images for my books. The cover model was a local Medieval re-enactment enthusiast from Lismore. My CA (cover artist) did the design work.

Remember the cover needs to be impressive
even as a thumbnail image. Since that is how it will look on many of the
marketing pages. A quick and useful blog post on good ebook cover design is Killer Ebook Covers

Editing. Finding a crit group, words to avoid, general polishing. Before you decide
to show your work to the world, and hope they will purchase it, take the time
to make it the best you possibly can.

Find and join a critique group in your
genre. It might take a while to find one you can work with. Giving and getting
critique that suits your style of writing, your level of commitment and need,
may take a few trial and errors working with groups, but it is time well spent
when you find a niche.

I joined Writing.com, found a Fantasy and science fiction group who gave critiques, worked with
them through each novel, chapter by chapter. Giving feedback is as important as
getting it. You can learn from others’ mistakes. A good critique group should
offer advice and support, without being derogatory or inflammatory. Levels of
critique need to fit your needs. Participating means you need to reciprocate.
Be prepared to go the distance.

Get feedback from beta readers who know
your genre or who have the qualifications to check your work.

Find an editor to double check your
grammar, spelling and continuity.

Try for the strongest writing you can
deliver. Avoid passive voice, POV changes within scenes, weak verbs/adverbs,
telling not showing. Get yourself a list of words to avoid and learn how to
reword sentences to give the reader a richer, more rewarding experience as they
follow your story.

Remember to hook your reader in every
chapter, page, paragraph. Make your opening as strong as possible. Remember
with ebooks potential readers can often ‘look inside’. Make sure you have a
perfect example for them to browse. Weak writing in the opening scene will have
a reader closing your book.

Formatting.Then there are the formats. This link will explain nine
of the common formats. You need a different format for different e-readers.
Kindle, Nook, epub, html, pdfs etc. Formatting for each requires different set
ups. MS WORD for example has hidden icons that will spoil transition to many of
the ebook formats. Word files need to be changed before publication. Most ebook
publishers offer conversion programs to ensure your ebook looks professional.

Remember to look at your work in terms of white space... does your writing look appealing, fit easily on the page, invite the reader to cruise through a read. A balance of spacing, indents, easily read fonts and aesthetic appeal is important to grabbing a reader's interest. It isn't only a great story and good grammar.

MS WORD will allow you to save your
manuscript in PDF format. This enables you to check for spacing, and formatting
problems. FIX them before you publish. (I recently was asked to read an ebook
that had occasional words underlined throughout the text. It made the story
unreadable. The words weren't hypertext, nor was the underlining relevant. It
just led to head-shaking confusion.)

Distribution. The main reason for choosing to publish with
even a small ebook publisher, is to ensure your story is available from the
largest number of outlets, and readily available for all types or ereaders.
There are far too many sites to name, but getting your book onto the most
popular sites should be included in any publishing package. Amazon, of course
is a favourite, Barnes and Noble, Omnilit, Smashwords… the list is endless.

Individual sites may have hoops to jump
through before accepting your ebook. Check before you publish, if the publisher
distributes to your favourite marketing pages, or if you are able to upload y
our books yourself. This is where the
different formats become important. Amazon accept Kindle ready formats but you
are able to create other formats for other sites. Amazon offers many outlets
for your ebook with their affiliated sites. Smashwords takes all types and
distributes them on multiple sites. Check where your ebook will be displayed
and available for sale, before you sign up for any package.

Also, there are literally thousands of
sites who will take your ebook to distribute. If you have the time and patience
to approach them. Check out their requirements. Some will only take books they
publish, others are more flexible. Be aware they may take a percentage of cost,
to host your books.

Marketing. Website, blog, twitter, Pinterest, book trailers, Facebook. Once you have sorted distribution… the
marketing is up to you. A minimum for marketing is running a website. Amazon
will offer an author’s page. This is a useful tool that incorporates blog
updates. As an author you are able to update it yourself. Even if you are with
a publisher marketing will be your responsibility. There are a few basic tools you need to
become familiar with.

Website…where people can find you, your
books and links to your sales pages. Linking to your Facebook page or blog can
help create interest in you as an author and your books. There are free sites,
that are user friendly. Or you can pay for a more professional site, without
advertising. Depending on your need.

A blog… a great way to spread the word
about your book/s and your interests, a place to show off your work, talk about
inspiration, share other authors’ books, find readers, and let them know about
releases and interesting events. Blogger
and Wordpress are both popular.

Facebook… marketing through Facebook via
groups, pages, sharing posts… time consuming, but it is one way of getting your
name and books known to many. It is also a way to keep people informed about
launches, releases and awards etc.

Signing… book launch coupons, pricing. If you choose to self publish your
ebook you can still do book launches and signings. There are several ‘ebook’
signing programs now. Also, at an ebook launch you can hand out postcards of
the cover, brochures, and even coupons that enable the reader to download the
ebook. If you are with a publisher these coupons should still be available on
request.

Sales,royalties, paypal, credit card management. If you choose to publish
your ebook and distribution and sales are NOT included in the package, you can
still handle the sales yourself. You will need to implement a secure payment
page on your website. There are different programs available. If you are not
computer literate, get help!

If you feel confident to create your own online shopping page, this is one example of DIY Sales software I have seen used...E-JUNKIE

With an ebook publisher this side of things
is taken care of. This is where you need to do your research. Talk to other
authors who are with the publisher. There are so many dodgy publishers out
there. Their sites look great but when it comes to payment of royalties,
setting prices, specials and tracking sales etc and paying on time and
remaining honest, their records are less than impressive.

Doing your own publishing, through a site
like Amazon or Smashwords, you can set your own prices. You have control of costs
and the large sites will have tracking records for you to follow. The smaller
sites need to be assessed individually. It is the ability to set your own
prices, claim the higher royalties and monitor sales that makes self publishing
more attractive. It is imperative you do your research before signing on. What
are you able to do, and costs are involved? Even FREE ebook publishing means
the publisher will take their cut of sales.

An interesting example of hidden costs. An
ebook sold through Amazon to a reader in the northern hemisphere will give a
higher return to the author than one sold to Australia. Same digital download.
Not sure how they figure that one out. How could it cost more to send digitally
to Oz?

Returns, complaints, reviews. Amazon has a two week return policy. If a
reader doesn’t like their ebook they can return it. Then it becomes the
author’s problem repaying costs. Most ebook publishers will cover their
author’s returns. When self publishing… check the publisher’s return policy.

Complaints downloading the various files
and formats is common. If you are working through your own website, this will
be your problem. If you are with a larger ebook publisher, they will have
policies in place. Check them before signing on.

Reviews. These help with marketing,
promotion and sales. Blog tours, sharing galleys before release, beta readers
are all great places to get a few reviews for your book. Once you have a few,
they make good blog posts, Facebook posts etc. There are forums and online
sites that offer reviews for different genres. Beware of sites that want
payment for reviews.

Right,
that’s enough to think about. Let’s explore the world of Ebook publishing…

Smashwords;
Createspace; Lulu… Three popular sites. We now
know what we are looking for… let’s see how these three sites stack up. What do
they offer? How easy are they to navigate? Would they suit our needs?

Anzac weekend. Dorrigo High School $25 registration fee. Three days of workshops and mingling with other writers.

Click link for program details and registration form.

See you there!!

Thank you for attending this workshop. I hope it has been of some help.

All images on this blog are used with permission of the author's featured, are images I have taken myself, or are from a photo shoot with Rachel Lewis Photography, or from Fotolia. Fotolia.com have provided many useful images for promotion and marketing.